If we lose to both of those teams, I'll be shocked. That would say more about us than a loss to state. I fully expect this team to regroup.

The 2010 psu game was definitely the turning point, but that team had just come off of two losses that they didn't really have much of a shot in (save some late game throws by Forcier vs Iowa). I would say that these next 3 weeks are the proverbial Penn State 2010 for this team. They are expected to win and they should win against lesser opponents and failing to do so would certainly fuel the offseason chatter about the staff.

MSU is a good team. I'll hold my judgment til the end of the season. We still have 3 very winnable games on the schedule leading to osu. 9-3 is not so unrealistic and I think everyone would have been good with that record coming into this year.

Provided Michigan beats Kansas and Gulf Coast beats Florida, on a scale of 1-10 how crushed would you be if they beat Michigan? Gotta admit it'd be fun to see this team in the final four, no matter how big the dong punch.

I respect him for saying that. Last year was kind of a perfect storm for a tourney loss. Quality wins all year, a B1G share, being almost basket away from a sweet 16 the year before, and an overrated seed that we didn't deserve. I can't really blame them for taking a MAC team lightly. Tourney experience will help the team this year since Trey and Tim and co. will have the idea of how easy it is to go home fresh in their minds.

I like to remember the Wisconsin game a few years back--the infamous "backboard game." The season seemed lost and everything hopeless, but everyone remembers that season for the tournament (The Eulogy of Bruce Pearl and KICK IT OUT TO STU, DARIUS!). The season's not over and there's still a lot of basketball to be played. Beilein has seen low points in a season and has seen his teams recover well.

1.) I think there are certain SEC programs that 'dirty' recruit players (e.g. "friendly" coeds and the like), but would guess that the number of SEC schools offering cash to players is pretty low and not much above average compared to the rest of the country.

2.)If there was more Ben Franklin handshakes, then I think more people would come forward than just the "he said, she said" stories that are usually passed down through the grapevine. Just one man's opinion

Apparently Dawson may have thrown a punch against Purdue. Hard to tell from the video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vo-Xtlhhre0&feature=player_embedded

Regardless, fun to read Sparty's justification of it. One guy said that (if it was a punch), it was deserved because of the way the Purdue player played dirty the moment before and Dawson was just doing what anyone would do. Deja Vu, eh?

Criticizing the decision is fine (i.e. USC's situation, coach, what would appeal to him about playing there, etc.), but too often people on this site and elsewhere get so caught up in it that they resort to namecalling, putdowns, or wild speculations (e.g. "Michigan is a much better fit for him, School X must be paying him. School X is a bunch of cheaters).

In the end, you may disagree with the presumed reasons that a recruit picked a school, but only the kid and his family know the real reasons and made the decision they felt was best for them. Even if you don't think it was the best for them, you have to respect the decision.

Not necessarily "rooting". There's no denying it's good for their program. As far as "learning from mistakes", I am hopeful that the precedent has been set for universities so that nothing like this will happen again in the manner that this took place.

PSU didn't get a slap on the wrist (though if anyone was rooting for the death penalty, then anything would seem minor in comparison). Furthermore, I find the lawsuit to be disappointing, but the university has made it clear that it is not affiliated with it in any way, so I would say that it's fair to assume they university learned their lesson.

I get spacy during games and get bothered really easily (e.g. there was a college age girl who sat behind me at the Iowa game who wouldn't shut up the whole time.). It especially bothers me to be around people actively cheering for the other team. I'd rather watch from the comfort of my own living room and not worry about anything other than the game.

If only Denard had Gardner's scrambling instincts. DG does a good job of trying to run if the pass is not there instead of hanging in the pocket, but there are times where he's trying to do too much (re: yakety sax pt 2 to Dileo). Gotta think it's the result of DG running the spread at Inkster while Denard was in a pro style.

Ehh, that was the first time they'd ever run the play in a game and the D didn't know what to expect. Correct me if I'm wrong, but every time Denard's pitched it (which is only a head-scratchingly few times), it hasn't gone for more than a few yards.

It's hard not to phrase this where I sound cynical, but all I see are a bunch of returns to the 25 (minus one or two). He had a few nice ones, but he also had one where he got crushed because he stopped moving his feet.

Again, not trying to be cynical, just wondering what people see in him (in terms of vision, speed, etc.) to make us think he's our guy.

I didn't like it, either, but it could have just been Bielema talking out of his ass. What the Saints did was organized and over a long period of time. Bielema isn't the first coach to do something like this *coughDantoniocough* and he won't be the last.

The principle was the same, though. Hoke saw his opportunity and took it, knowing that it's not a sure thing he'd get the offer again. Like i said, how do we know Trey doesn't have a THjr-like season next yr with a different offensive focus and have his stock plummet?

So where were the torches and pitchforks when Manningham and Arrington left? As far as I'm concerned, those guys are still "Michigan Men." You can be mad about the situation, but don't be mad at the guy. The game is a business. How does Trey know that he won't have a THjr-type season next year that will set him back in terms of draft stock?

"When you make a decision that promotes your own interests over the interests of your teammates and the University, however reasonable that decision may be, the community has every right to be angry with you and act accordingly.

Those who stay will be champions, not only on the field/court but also in the hearts and minds of their fans."

We laughed at SDSU fans who called Brady Hoke a traitor for leaving for his dream job. How is this any different?

You really don't owe him anything? He lead this team to a co-B1G title. You at least owe him a thank you. If now is when he wants to take his shot at the league, so be it. It's his decision. It might have been Morris last year who was so disgusted at the Michigan fanbase for the way they turned on him when he announced.

How about taking the time to appreciate the kid and what he's done. He's made a big decision about something he's dreamed about since he was young. If you don't like the decision, at least respect it. Don't rag on the kid just because you won't be able to talk a little extra shit to your coworkers this offseason. This kid owes you nothing and to some of the responses here, that's what you deserve.

To be fair, the Wonderlich is an aptitude test. Aptitude is not quite the same as intelligence, though they are related. The bigger question is why the NFL continues to give this test. People who score low can do well in the NFL while people who score highly can flame out.

I was in season 17 of an 8 user OD when the file decided to stop working. After contacting customer support, the only thing they could tell us was to start over. The only reason I'll buy '13 is because I don't want to lose the dynasty I'm in when they all advance to next year's game

I think he is holding out (if he ever plans on moving) for a destination job like Duke, UK, UNC, etc. Illinois is a middle-of-the-pack B1G team. Even if he returns the program to 2005-like levels, it's still Illinois and the big schools will still be calling. The way I see it, a job like Illinois can do more harm than good for Smart. If he does well, it'll be no surprise, but if he does poorly, then his name won't mean so much once the big schools start calling.

That's not what I said at all. The player deserves everything he gets. I am just wondering why the band was still there when the players were running onto the field as that is not something that should happen.

Is it a malicious act? Absolutely. A bigger question is what the hell was the band still doing on the field at that point? Terrible communication by the stadium crew. The whole event could have been avoided. Even if he doesn't hit the kid, someone still could have been hurt.

Some people have pointed to the Lions drafting a certain position this April, but do you think they will do the "best player available" strategy again and go against the people's wishes for as long as I've been paying attention to the Lions (MOAR CBs and OL)? I wonder if being higher up in the draft will mean that the Lions hone in on need instead of adding additional talent to a position group.

Kid doesn't play a lot of D, has tunnel vision, has an almost 1:1 turnover/assist ratio, shoots less than 50% from the free throw line, and has had discipline problems. You can blame tunnel vision on trying to do too much because of who's around him, but how many guards can you name that shoot 46% from the field and only 49% from the line. That speaks volumes about his work ethic.

Played middle-school basketball. Everything I learned about football (both scheme and roster-wise), I learned from video games. Anybody remember Keith Jackson commentating on Gamebreaker 99 for playstation? Regardless, I know quite a bit about football, though I've never formally played.

Though I don't necesarrily gravitate toward women's basketball, I appreciate the stress they put on fundamentals and playmaking. Not that men's bball doesn't focus on these things, but they are usually more easily recognized in women's games.

I don't see how you can be disappointed in his resistance to night games when he was responsible for scheduling one up in the first place. He just wants the night games to be special. Brandon is not the only AD in the country, either, who schedules neutral site games (LSU-Oregon last year).

The game itself against State under the lights would be great. But whatever the outcome, there seems to be more bad blood between Sparty and UM fans which, given a whole day to drink, puts a lot of pressure on the police force and the city itself to maintain peace between both fanbases. I am not saying ND fans aren't passionate, but it's a different kind of passion when it comes to MSU-UM.

It was the 2007 coaching search and I was reading something by Rittenburg on ESPN. I looked in the corner of the page and Mgoblog was listed as a relevant team blog. Still remember the "Profiles in Cronyism" post about Hoke coming to Michigan after Lloyd left.

I didn't say they were a bad team, but they don't strike me as a 1 seed. I don't know if I'm reading it right but they're ranked 76 in Kenpom's SOS and from an eye test only have a handful of good wins

Coach prestige: Brady Hoke hasn't proven he can do anything at Michigan with his own recruits and say he's just benefitting from RR's players. The same goes at SDSU. He was only there for 2 years and didn't prove he could build a program. He also hasn't done anything on a national scale or proven he can sustain success.

Who gives a shit? Do we have to comment on them every time they do something? "OMG, can you believe they did (something)? God they wish they were Michigan. They are such assholes! Lil bro, lil bro, lil bro, sparty, sparty, Dantonio, jackass"

Eh, Gallon was open by a defender screwing up a pretty standard coverage (like how Ohio State scored their first TD against us) as opposed to RR's plays that would specifically exploit the defender's decision making.

He committed to IU because his family is close to there, but then realized what a shit show that program is. At least Minnesota seems like they could be heading in the right direction, IU has got to be the worst football program in the B1G

Isn't it a bit of a self-fulfilling prophecy that if player goes to X school and goes pro, that school attracts more high-level players, who in turn go pro, which attracts more high level players, etc. I don't think the school/conference itself matters much. Michigan has had many QBs play in the NFL, but most are not as good as Jay Cutler (jokes aside), who comes from Vanderbilt. Talent is everything. If you're good enough, you'll get your shot. Even a small program like CMU has sent its players to the NFL (Joe Staley, Antonio Brown).

Definitely the Gallon wheel route at the ND game. Being at that game with 30 seconds left was a real kick in the pants, especially when we just drove down and scored on the rollout screen pass to take the lead. Then to give the lead up so suddenly was so deflating. Don't get me wrong, the Roundtree catch was awesome, but seeing Denard heave it up and saying "OH MY GOD HE'S OPEN" was unreal. Without that play, we lose the game. Best play of the year

Dude won at Bowling Green and at Utah. There's no denying he's a good coach. Trying to discredit him is a fool's errand. I like the direction our program is heading. If Hoke is as good as we think he is, then we'll win games against OSU (Meyer or not).

It's brutal, but not unmanageable. Just giving it the eye-test, the game that stick out to me as exceptionally tough are Bama (duh), @Nebraska, and @OSU. The rest (@ND, MSU, Iowa) will be difficult, but definitely winnable/

I am very excited for the offense next year. We had a hard time identifying who we were as an offense early in the year but the past few weeks+bowl prep+another offseason will do us a lot of good, though losing Koger, Molk and the rest of the seniors will hurt. Never know who is going to step up though!

I also have to add that Fitz stepping up this year has been huge. I remember people complaining that we don't have a Slaton to Denard's Pat White, hoping that we could land a big recruit like D. Hart when it turns out we had our guy in our own back yard (though he had been a little banged up)

This quote by Eddie George says about as much about the situation as anything:

"I think it's a done deal," George said, after watching the Buckeyes lose to the No. 15 Wolverines 40-34 at the Big House. "I think the signs are there and it's definitely going to happen. I think he's the perfect fit. He's a coach that wants to be at Ohio State and has ties to Ohio State. He said Ohio State is his dream job."

The only signs that are there are that he'd be a great fit. The rest is just conjecture. This just reeks of Harbaugh to Michigan for me